


Talking of Michelangelo

by SecretMaker



Series: Tumblr Drabbles 2015 [91]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Soumate AU, empath!Kenma, empath!Suga
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-25 02:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4943356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretMaker/pseuds/SecretMaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Yamaguchi's gotten good at that," Shouyou remarked to no one in particular as he watched Yamaguchi's serve wobble in the air. He didn't expect the sound of fond agreement which came from Tsukishima beside him. Shouyou bit the inside of his cheek and knelt to retie his laces.</p><p>That's when he saw it.</p><p>There, trailing up the side of Tsukishima's leg, was a series of small black dots and a few sweeping lines, half-smudged and faded-looking. Almost like a tattoo that someone had tried to cover up with too little makeup. Shouyou's eyes widened and he straightened quickly. He kept his eyes focused straight ahead, determined not to let on that he had seen anything out of the ordinary.</p><p>Things like that were dangerous, after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Yachi was adorable.  
  
Tadashi pondered this fact, rolling it over and over in his mind as he stretched. He could see her out of the corner of his eye, talking to Shimizu-senpai about something or other with a flush on her cheeks. She always gestured when she talked, wide, earnest movements that put even Hinata's golden energy to shame. Tadashi smiled to himself at the thought, watching as the silver air around her turned pink.  
  
"Serve practice!" called Coach Ukai, breaking Tadashi out of his thoughts. "Yamaguchi, you first."  
  
Right. Focus. Getting caught up in thoughts like that was a surefire way to ruin everything. He shook his head and ignored the four swirling clouds of color in his vision and stood to serve.  
  
Tadashi watched Noya get into position on the other side of the net. He was still a bit uncertain in his ball control, but he was determined to get past the libero today. Noya shot him a grin and Tadashi returned it, tossing the ball into the air.  
  
  
  
"Yamaguchi's gotten good at that," Shouyou remarked to no one in particular as he watched Yamaguchi's serve wobble in the air. He didn't expect the sound of fond agreement which came from Tsukishima beside him. Shouyou bit the inside of his cheek and knelt to retie his laces.  
  
That's when he saw it.  
  
There, trailing up the side of Tsukishima's leg, was a series of small black dots and a few sweeping lines, half-smudged and faded-looking. Almost like a tattoo that someone had tried to cover up with too little makeup. Shouyou's eyes widened and he straightened quickly. He kept his eyes focused straight ahead, determined not to let on that he had seen anything out of the ordinary.  
  
Things like that were dangerous, after all.  
  
He noticed Suga watching him with a tight expression, but did his best to ignore him. Shouyou had seen nothing. He threw himself into practice, determined to put the entire thing behind him.  
  
  
  
The swirling confusion in Tobio's head was mounting. Panic was growing from the base of his spine, mixing with boredom, excitement, and a strange pride. He bit the inside of his lip to try to concentrate on the world around him. It worked, somewhat.  
  
It had been like this as long as he could remember. The emotional overload, coming and going at random times. The moments of calm when he could hear himself think, usually late at night or very early in the morning. The stabs of betrayal or fear or anxiety that came without reason. He had never understood it, and it only made it hurt more. His head was pounding with the effort of keeping himself present.  
  
Hinata kept sending him concerned looks, which he ignored. Suga sent him concerned looks which he paid a little more attention to, but ultimately ignored as well.  
  
It wasn't until the captain jogged over and told him softly to take a break that he actually listened. He walked stiffly to the bench and thunked down, taking a swig from his water bottle.  
  
"Kageyama?" Tobio looked up to see Yamaguchi hovering nearby, looking at him like he was a cornered animal. "Are you okay?" Tobio nodded and Yamaguchi came closer. "You just seem kind of, I don't know, overwhelmed," he said.  
  
"I'm fine," Tobio said, but he couldn't help the spike of surprise that went through him, both at Yamaguchi's words and at the deepset and genuine concern that flooded his entire body. "Are you okay?" Yamaguchi nodded. He looked torn, like he wanted to say something more, but then the coach shouted his name and he turned to rejoin the practice. Tobio watched him go, feeling some of the concern fade into determination, and couldn't help but smile.  
  
  
  
Hitoka couldn't help but worry. She'd picked up on the way Yamaguchi had noticed something off about Kageyama, and the way Hinata's concentration kept floating between the game and his setter. She could feel something from Kageyama, too, like a buzz on the edge of her awareness that wasn't quite loud enough to be heard. She closed her eyes, concentrating, but the sensation slipped away before she could catch it.  
  
With Yamaguchi, Hinata, and Tsukishima all focused on the practice match they were playing, there wasn't really anything else to hear. Shaking herself, she focused on the game as well, making notes on her clipboard and ignoring the moments when Hinata and Tsukishima launched into a block together, or when Yamaguchi hit the ball past them and Tsukishima swelled with pride, or when Kageyama reentered the court and focused his every thought on Hinata's movement. She especially tried to ignore the way Sugawara kept glancing at her, at all five first years.  
  
"You'll be fine," said a soft voice beside her. She looked up to see Kiyoko-san watching the game with her usual cool expression. She turned to give her a soft smile. "Sugawara is safe. So are Noya and Daichi, but I wouldn't say anything blatant."  
  
"How do you know?" Hitoka asked. "Just because someone is the same doesn't mean they're okay with it."  
  
"Because Sugawara knows about everyone," she answered, "and he hasn't said anything yet." Hitoka nodded, trying to look busy with her notes. "It's not yourself you're worried about," Kiyoko-san said suddenly. Hitoka nodded.  
  
"It's Kageyama-kun," she answered. "I can't really tell with him, but whatever it is it's giving him a hard time." Kiyoko-san nodded thoughtfully. "I'll talk to Sugawara-san," she decided. Kiyoko-san smiled at her.  
  
"I think that's a good idea," she said. Across the gym, Suga looked up abruptly, taking a volleyball to the face. Hitoka winced, only just stopping herself from calling out a frantic apology while Kiyoko-san chuckled under her breath.  
  
  
  
"Tsukishima, can you come here for a second?" Kei nodded toward Yamaguchi, then trotted off to where Kiyoko stood, beckoning.  
  
"Is everything alright?" he asked, suspicious. Kiyoko nodded her head and dug something out of her bag, glancing around as though to make sure no one was looking in their direction.  
  
"Here," she said, handing Kei a small glass bottle. "This is designed to not sweat off." Kei inspected the bottle, finding it filled with concealer. His eyes snapped up to his senpai, only to see a placating expression on her face. He glanced down at his leg, where he could see a line or two peaking through the makeup he had smeared there that morning.  
  
"How?" he whispered, stuffing the bottle in his own bag before anyone could see.  
  
"Do you know who they are yet?" she asked instead, watching as he blushed.  
  
"Three of them," he answered. "I'm not so sure who the fourth is supposed to be, though. I have a feeling you do." She nodded. "I'm assuming that since you gave me this you're not going to tell anyone."  
  
"No one who doesn't already know," she answered. She didn't seem to be looking at him, but rather at something over his shoulder. He caught sight of Yamaguchi, grinning at something Ennoshita had said, and he smiled at the sight. Remembering where he was, he turned back to Kiyoko, trying to ignore the way his cheeks heated.  
  
"Is there anything else?" he asked her, but she kept looking across the gym.  
  
"Emotional empathy," she whispered.  
  
"Shimizu-senpai?" She shook her head, looking at him at last.  
  
"Nothing, I think I just solved a friend's problem," she answered. He watched her for a moment, then huffed out a laugh.  
  
"Whatever you say," he answered. "Though what problem she could have that she needed help with is beyond me." She shot him a look and walked off without a word. He smirked, glancing to where Yachi had turned bright red at the thought. He rolled his eyes at her.  
  
  
  
  
_You’re over-thinking again_. Koushi rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue at the boy lounging shoulder-to-shoulder with him. _Come on, Suga,_ Daichi thought at him. _What’s wrong?_  
  
_Not my place,_ Koushi answered. Daichi sighed and nodded.  
  
_Alright, keep your secrets,_ he teased. Suga chuckled and shoved Daichi in the shoulder.  
  
“You coming over tonight?” he asked aloud. “My mom was wondering if you’d take a look at the faucet in the upstairs shower.” Daichi groaned.  
  
“Someone needs to explain to her that I am not actually a plumber,” he complained.  
  
“You’re not an electrician either, but you fixed that light switch,” Koushi reminded him. Daichi dropped his head into his hands. He said something in answer, but Koushi was focused elsewhere. “Dai, you go ahead,” he said softly, putting a hand on Daichi’s shoulder. “I’ll catch up.”  
  
_You going to be okay?_ Daichi asked him. He nodded, but didn’t answer. _Alright. Call me if you need anything._ Daichi gave him one last glance, then made his way toward the clubroom to change. Koushi stayed where he was until the gym was almost empty, only himself and the two managers remaining. Yachi shot him a nervous look, then scampered out.  
  
“What’s up, Shimizu?” he asked.  
  
“Kageyama’s an emotional empath,” she answered in a quiet voice. “I think it’s specific to the other first years.”  
  
“That makes sense,” he agreed, sighing. “Poor kid.”  
  
“Yachi’s worried,” she said.  
  
“I would be too,” he agreed. “She’s not like me; she can’t really help what she knows.” He looked at the door where  she had disappeared, not really seeing it. “Everything’s about to get a lot more complicated.”  
  
“What makes you say that?” She asked. He handed her a note.  
  
“Takeda-sensei gave this to me today when he found out he couldn’t make practice. He said he’d make the announcement tomorrow, but he wanted you and Daichi to know.” She opened the note and swore.  
  
“Nekoma,” she hissed.  
  
“Nekoma,” he agreed. “We’ll just have to hope he’s feeling merciful.”


	2. Chapter 2

Lev was thinking about cats again. Or at least, Kenma was pretty sure it was cats. There was also something about a pie and the color blue, but the overall tone of the thoughts and the fact that this was Lev told him it was either about cats or Yaku. Kenma rolled his eyes and passed Inuoka another ball. Spike practice was just going to have to go on without him.  
  
"Kenma!" Kenma started and turned to the door, heedless of everything around him. He should have felt that brightness coming, but he had been distracted.  
  
"Shouyou," he said. Without another thought for the practice going on around him he took off toward his friend. Shouyou launched himself at Kenma, throwing his arms around Kenma's neck. Over his shoulder Kenma could see the rest of Karasuno piling out of their bus. He caught their older setter watching him and gave him a nod.  
  
"…So then we were like halfway here and Kageyama started yelling at me about something to do with his shoes or whatever, and I-"  
  
"Shouyou," Kenma interrupted. He gave Shouyou a pointed look, only to watch the smaller boy throw his head back and laugh.  
  
"Sorry, Kenma," he said. "I was just excited to see you! It's been forever!"  
  
"It's been two weeks," Kenma pointed out. Shouyou pouted.  
  
"That's forever," he insisted. By this time the rest of Karasuno was making their way into the gym. Kuroo sauntered over, shaking their captain's hands and setting off to bother their tall blocker.  
  
Their tall blocker who was watching him talk to Shouyou rather intently. Kenma glanced at him, then away, suddenly embarrassed. The noise in his head crescendoed, and he closed his eyes.  
  
"Kenma!" He managed to look up at the sound of his best friend's voice. "Do me a favor, go grab the spare towels out of the storage room." Kenma nodded gratefully and turned to leave the gym.  
  
"Kozume-san?" Kenma looked up, not at all surprised that Karasuno's setter had followed him. He nodded and continued on his way, shadowed by the quiet man.  
  
  
  
Koushi knew what it was like. He couldn't help but pity Kozume for the constant noise in his head, and then immediately felt sorry for shoving that pity down the boy's throat.  
  
"It's fine," Kozume said softly. Koushi gave him a wry smile and nodded. "I assume you're here about Shouyou?"  
  
"And the others," Koushi answered. "I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt Hinata, but you have to understand my position. There are only a few people I can trust completely, and I have four other first years to worry about." Kozume nodded.  
  
"I won't say anything," he said. "Anything I do say would hurt Shouyou in the long run, and Kuro."  
  
"Kuro?" Koushi glanced at Kozume, trying yet again to puzzle the younger setter out. 'Kuro' could only be Kuroo, Nekoma's sly captain, but Koushi couldn't think why saying something about Hinata would hurt him.  
  
Secrets, after all, were the currency of the land these days. Koushi knew enough secrets to bring down everyone he cared about, and Kozume knew more. Koushi shook the thought away.  
  
"Must be nice," he said softly as he and Kozume collected up the towels. Kozume glanced at him questioningly. "Always knowing," he explained. Kozume snorted.  
  
"I never know if a thought is my own," he said. "And I never know if what I'm feeling is something I'm projecting onto whoever I'm feeling it from." Koushi hummed.  
  
"I guess that makes sense," he said. A thought struck him. "I wonder," he said slowly, trying to gauge Kozume and failing, "if you would be willing to help someone out with that very problem."  
  
"He doesn't know," Kozume said suddenly. Koushi found himself laughing, because of course Kozume knew who he was talking about.  
  
"No, I don't think he does. But I think it's emotional, and it's specific to the other four." Kozume nodded.  
  
"I'll invite Shouyou over tonight," he said softly. "You are staying nearby, right?"  
  
Koushi smiled at him. He gave Kozume the name of their ryokan and left the storage room, hoping to give him some time to regain control. Besides, Kuroo had cornered Daichi, and Daichi was starting to get desperate.  
  
  
  
_He's so cool._  
  
_He's not bad-looking either._  
  
_Oh my god he did not just say that, the dork._  
  
_Did I say he was cool? He’s a loser._  
  
_Who let this idiot onto the court._  
  
_No don't do that you'll hurt yours-_  
  
_Oh look he hurt himself._  
  
Hitoka was having a hard time keeping a straight face. The worst part was that they knew they were doing it. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were standing near the bench, shooting snarky thought after snarky thought in her direction, laughing between themselves when they caught Hitoka's guard cracking. She rolled her eyes and made her way around the gym to where they were.  
  
"It's not funny, you two," she hissed.  
  
"Oh yes it is," Yamaguchi answered. "You're having fun, don't try to deny it to me."  
  
"Besides, look at the look on his face," Tsukishima added, nodding in Kageyama's direction. "He has no idea what's happening." Hitoka watched as Kageyama laughed to himself, then furrowed his brow in confusion. Hinata caught sight of Kozume and flushed with excitement, and Kageyama did the same. His face grew more and more concerned, and Hitoka was torn between laughing at him and going to help him.  
  
"Poor thing," she said, ignoring the flurry of jokes coming from her companions. "We're going to have to explain it to him eventually."  
  
"Yeah," Yamaguchi conceded.  
  
"But it's so funny," Tsukishima whined. Hitoka and Yamaguchi both glared at him. He held up his hands in surrender, thought his expression was far too amused.  
  
"Stop it," Hitoka snapped. "We are not that cute."  
  
_You're adorable,_ Tsukishima thought. Hitoka rolled her eyes. Hinata shouted something across the court, his whole being focused on Kageyama. Hitoka blushed.  
  
"Do we want to know?" Yamaguchi asked. Hitoka giggled.  
  
"It's nothing like that, don't be gross," she said, smacking Yamaguchi on the arm. "He's just happy that he gets to play with Kageyama-kun." Realizing what she had just said, she glanced around the court. Tsukishima patted her on the shoulder before jogging off to join the rest of A team, leaving her alone with Yamaguchi.  
  
"You okay?" he asked her. She nodded.  
  
"Just worried," she answered. "I assume Shimizu-senpai warned you?" Yamaguchi nodded.  
  
"It's okay," he said. "He and Hinata are friends, after all. We'll be okay."  
  
"It's not him I'm worried about," she whispered. "We do need to talk to Kageyama, though. It's getting to the point where he's having too much difficulty controlling it, and he's going to get caught." Yamaguchi nodded, watching the beginning of the game.  
  
"I don't think we'll have to," he said.  
  
  
  
Tobio was confused, terrified, and just a bit angry. Hinata had cornered him after the practice match, dragging him off along with Nekoma's setter to an apartment he assumed was Kozume's, and now they were sitting in the living room, staring at him.  
  
"Are you going to tell me what's going on, dumbass?" he snapped. Hinata looked afraid for about a second, then he got over the reflex and smiled.  
  
"That's why we're here," he said. He looked at Kozume, who seemed nervous about something.  
  
"Kageyama," he said in that soft voice of his. "Do you know what you are?"  
  
"Setter," he answered right away. Had they taken him here to quiz him? that may have been understandable coming from Hinta, but he wouldn't have expected it from Kozume.  
  
"No," Kozume said. "Not that. Do you know what you are outside of volleyball?" Kageyama furrowed his brow. He was a lot of things. He was a student, he was Japanese, he was a boy, he was a teenager, he was a Capricorn, he was-  
  
"You're an empath." Kozume's voice broke through his thoughts, but they did not process. All he could think of was the surge of excitement that mingled with the boredom, the laughter, and the anxiety swirling through him.  
  
"A what."  
  
Kozume sighed. "Do you know what an empath is?" he asked, sounding bored. Kageyama only furrowed his brows. Kozume sighed again. "In general, they're a person who can feel and alter the emotions, thoughts, or impressions of another person. In practice, they can usually only feel, and only certain people. You are an emotional empath, limited to the feelings of your first-year teammates." Kozume looked exhausted by this explanation. Tobio looked at him, but his words weren't making sense.  
  
"He doesn't get it," Hinata said. Kozume sighed a third time.  
  
"Watch," he said. To Hinata, he whispered, "I heard that Shiratorizawa has a tradition of stealing weak members of their opposing teams and tying them to a flag pole." Kageyama was more confused than ever; he had never heard a rumor like that. Hinata, however, turned white as a sheet, and suddenly Kageyama was terrified. "Did you feel that?" Kozume asked him.  
  
"Feel what?" he asked.  
  
"Shouyou's fear," Kozume answered. "You know Shiratorizawa doesn't do that, and you wouldn't be afraid anyway. But Shouyou would be." Tobio looked down at the table, trying to grab the tail ends of the terror that was fading out of him. Kozume sighed. "Shouyou, there are some snacks in the kitchen," he said, and Tobio watched Hinata's face light up in time with the elation that flooded his body. "But you can't have them." Hinata's expression fell, and Tobio was filled with betrayal and sadness.  
  
"Oh my god," he whispered.  
  
"Now you get it," Kozume sighed. He flopped his head onto Hinata's shoulder. "I really didn't want to keep coming up with examples."  
  
"But-" Tobio's head was spinning. "But how can you-"  
  
"I'm one too," Kozume cut him off. "I'm only limited by proximity, but I could tell the first time I met all five of you. Your manager's a mind-reader, the one with the freckles sees your auras, and I'm not sure about the tall one."  
  
"Tsukishima has a Mark," Hinata whispered. Kozume nodded.  
  
"And you're a person-specific emotional empath. Shouyou doesn't seem to have a Sign, but I'm pretty sure it's all five of you."  
  
"What's all five of us?" Kageyama demanded, ignoring the spike of amusement he must have been feeling from the other three.  
  
"All five of you are soulmates," Kozume droned.  
  
"No," Tobio denied immediately. Soulmates were dangerous. They were abnormal, they were freaks of nature. He could handle being an empath, that would only get him in trouble.  
  
Soulmates would get all of them killed.  



	3. Chapter 3

Kageyama’s thoughts were so loud and so distressed that they drove Hitoka to her knees.  
  
“Yachi-san? Yachi-san, what’s wrong?” She could hear Yamaguchi calling out to her, could feel him shaking her gently, could hear his worries, but her mind was latched on to someone else.  
  
 _Can’t be true, can’t be true. Can’t do that to them. Can’t do that, can’t hurt them like that. Have to save them. Have to figure out another way. Have to leave-_  
  
“Hitoka!” This time it was Tsukishima who called her name. With a monumental effort she focused on him, on his grim expression. “You need to calm down, or he’s only going to panic more.” Hitoka nodded shakily. He shuffled forward until he was crouched protectively over her, gripping her hand. He started thinking about Yamaguchi, recounting stories of their childhood in his head to distract her.  
  
It worked. She found herself laughing at the thought of Yamaguchi chasing after Tsukishima with cicada in hand, both shrieking as they went. She felt Kageyama’s panic ease somewhat along with her own, replacing it with their laughter.  
  
 _Always, Hitoka,_ Tsukishima thought to her. _Remember what an effect you can have on him. Always remember to make his life better, the way you do for the rest of us._ Hitoka blushed and looked away, ignoring the way Yamaguchi laughed at the warmth that filled her.  
  
“You’re both awful,” she muttered, but they all knew she didn’t mean it.  
  
“Hey, I have a question,” Yamaguchi said suddenly. “What’s it like in Hinata’s head?” Both Hitoka and Tsukishima glanced sharply at the door. Yamaguchi rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s asleep who doesn’t already know,” he said.  
  
“Still,” Tsukishima said softly, “You shouldn’t go around saying things like that out loud. What if you’re wrong?”  
  
“It’s okay,” Hitoka assured him. “The walls are thick. We just have to stay quiet.” Tsukishima nodded at her, though grudgingly. She grinned and leaned back on her hands. “It’s a mess in there,” she told them. “I can only pick something up when it’s about one of the five of us, so with him it’s like watching a flickering light bulb. His thoughts are all over the place, and they come and go more quickly than I would’ve believed possible. It’s worse when he’s with Nekoma’s setter.”  
  
“Does he make those sound effects in his head?” Tsukishima asked while Yamaguchi snickered behind his head. Hitoka’s deadpan look was answer enough and they both fell over laughing.  
  
“It’s more rare to get an actual word out of his head,” she told them. Suddenly embarrassed by the power of her own sign, she turned to Yamaguchi. “What about you? Can you see any of us more clearly than the others?”  
  
Yamaguchi shook his head. “I’m more familiar with Tsukki’s aura then the rest of you, but if you’re all in the same room it’s no easier to pick his out. Hinata’s can be brighter, but that’s just because I think he feels things more than the rest of us.” He paused, thinking. “I guess that explains why Kageyama’s always looks so… brown. It’s hard to pick out what he’s actually feeling, because it’s mixed up with what everyone else is feeling too.”  
  
“It’s gotta be hard,” Tsukishima said. Hitoka looked at him in surprise, and he shrugged. “I can cover mine up easily. You and Yamaguchi don’t have any outward signs unless you blatantly say something. Hinata doesn’t show anything at all. But Kageyama’s almost been caught before. He lives with enough emotion packed into him for five people, after all.”   
  
“Tsukki, I never knew you cared so much,” Yamaguchi cried, clutching his hands over his heart.  
  
“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima snapped. Hitoka bit back a giggle, pretending not to see the blush on the back of Tsukishima’s neck.  
  
“Sorry, Tsukki.”  
  
“I just realized I’ve never seen you Mark,” Hitoka said suddenly. She looked at Tsukishima and tried not to blush. “Will you show me?” She tried her best not to listen to him debate in his head over whether or not to show her. They traded apologetic smiles, and he bent forward to lift his pant-leg. There, running up the length of his calf, was a blue-black tattoo. It was comprised mainly of stars, scattered in patterns and constellations that Hitoka couldn’t even begin to figure out. Near the base of his ankle there was a large half-circle that resembled the Earth, opposite an even larger circle below his knee, decorated with sunbeams. Between the two sat a crescent moon and a comet with a tail that wrapped around it.  
  
“I only just figured out what they all mean,” he said. “I’ve always known that the stars were Yamaguchi. It’s only become more obvious over the years.” He leaned in and murmured conspiratorially, “The freckles multiply every summer.” She laughed and Yamaguchi stuck his tongue out at them. “The sun and moon I figured out a few months ago, during a practice. Tanaka-san said something offhand about Hinata and I being opposites, and it clicked.”  
  
“And the other two?” Hitoka asked. Tsukishima smiled at her.  
  
“The Earth is you,” he said. “A place to call home among the chaos, and a stabilizing force. The comet,” Tsukishima paused and ran his finger tenderly along the comet’s tail. “I wasn’t sure for a long time about the comet. I think a part of me didn’t want to admit that Kageyama was my soulmate. I told myself I just didn’t get the symbolism.”  
  
“What is the symbolism there?” Yamaguchi asked. Tsukishima smiled fondly, and it made Hitoka’s chest ache.  
  
“Remember when we were kids and you did that report on Comet McNaught?” he asked. Yamaguchi nodded, and smiled suddenly. He turned to Hitoka to explain.  
  
“In the last three hundred years or so there have only been nine comets bright enough to be seen in daylight,” he told her. “Comet McNaught was the most recent. They’re rare events ordinarily, but being able to see something so bright in your daily life is an extraordinary gift.” Hitoka smiled.  
  
“It’s a metaphor for his talent,” she said. Yamaguchi nodded.  
  
“It’s a bit more than that, but basically,” Tsukishima said. “The Earth, sun, and stars are constant. You can see them anytime, and you always know how wonderful they are. But Kageyama has these rare moments where he does something, and it’s absolutely adorable, and I’m going to stop talking now.” He cut himself off and looked away with a blush high on his cheeks. No matter how they goaded, Hitoka and Yamaguchi couldn’t get him to say another word that night.  
  
  
  
“Thanks for letting us stay here tonight,” Hinata said as he stood in the kitchen with Kenma.  
  
“No problem,” Kenma said.   
  
“How is he?” Kenma made a face. Kageyama was upstairs, wallowing in his despair. Kenma kept getting impressions of torture chambers and faceless government officials, along with something to do with a ceramic duck.  
  
“Confused at best,” he answered. “I think you were right that he shouldn’t be around the others until he sorts through this at least a little, but what he needs is time. And communication.”  
  
“Have you met him?” Hinata quipped. “Communication isn’t exactly easy.” Kenma rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. “Sorry to bother you with our problems,” he said, suddenly shy.   
  
“Shouyou, stop it,” he said. “I don’t help people if I don’t want to. Too much work.”  
  
“I know,” Hinata said, slumping against the counter. “I just- You have enough on your plate as it is.” Kenma looked at him sharply.  
  
“You have an uncanny eye,” he said at last. Hinata shrugged.  
  
“I just notice things,” he said lightly. “’Snot like it’s a useful skill, anyway. I can’t exactly be a Catcher when I’ve got four of my own to worry about.” Kenma chuckled.  
  
“Too bad,” he said. “I’d love to see you actually try to turn someone in. You wouldn’t have the stomach.”  
  
“I have an iron stomach!” Hinata shouted, standing at his full height with his chest puffed.  
  
“You threw up on the bus, didn’t you?” Hinata shrunk into himself and nodded. Kenma smiled. “It’s a good thing, Shouyou,” he assured his friend. “I’m glad that you’re too kind-hearted to do that to someone. It’s a nice trait to have these days.” Kenma looked down at the kitchen, a familiar terror rising up in him. “There should be more people like you.”  
  
“You shouldn’t worry,” Hinata said, patting Kenma on the shoulder. “They’re all smart enough not to get caught.” Kenma looked up at him abruptly.  
  
“So it isn’t just Kuro?” he whispered. Hinata nodded, his brow furrowed.  
  
“I thought you knew?” he said. “Sorry, did I overstep-”  
  
“No,” Kenma assured him. “I suspected. I just wasn’t sure.” Hinata nodded and they were quiet.  
  
“How did we end up leading such dangerous lives?” Hinata asked. Kenma smirked.  
  
“We were just born to be the bad guys,” he said. Hinata laughed at that, a dull, hollow sound.  
  
“Guess so.”  
  
  
  
There was a knock on the door around two in the morning. Tadashi answered, not pretending to have been asleep. “Suga-san?” he asked, confused. “What’s wrong?”  
  
Suga looked at him with an expression more upset than Tadashi had ever seen on him. He glanced both ways down the hall, then stepped into the first years’ room and shut the door.  
  
“There was a government announcement,” he said. “They’re stepping up the random sweeps, and they’re going to implement testing in schools.” Tadashi stared at him for a moment, then it sank in.  
  
“How accurate are their tests?” he asked calmly. He could see Tsukishima’s aura glowing in the corner of his vision, his dreams painting it with blues and purples and reds. Suga only shook his head.  
  
“Daichi and I are going back to Miyagi,” he said. “I have a little sister to take care of, and our bond is only applicable through direct contact. But I’ve told the others and they’re already gone.”  
  
Tadashi didn’t ask who the others were. It didn’t really matter now. He simply nodded and turned to wake Tsukishima. “Does Yachi know?” he asked Suga, who shook his head. “I’ll tell her,” Tadashi said.   
  
Suga left without another word. Tadashi bit down on the panic, sure it would only make matters worse. He roused Tsukishima at last, shaking his head at the boy’s sleepy mumblings.  
  
“Wake up, Tsukki,” he said. “It’s happened. We need to run.”


	4. Chapter 4

_“Any persons having a Soulmate Sign, including a Mark on his person, an added ability about his senses, or an added ability about his body or psyche, shall submit himself to testing by the Imperial Board of Medical Anomalies. Any such person who refuses to submit himself shall be considered a Fugitive of the Law, and shall be subject to arrest at any time by agents of the Board. Any person known to harbor such persons shall be considered accessory to the crime, and shall be prosecuted accordingly. Any person who is unaware of possessing such a Sign and who submits himself for testing shall be considered innocent and shall be taken into custody by the Board._  
  
 _“Any persons who submit to testing and are found not to be in possession of such a Sign shall be compensated. Testing is mandatory for all high school students. Any member of school staff or of the public wishing to be tested may do so at such a mandatory testing site. All Agents of the Board are to be give-”_  
  
Kenma turned off the radio and sat for a moment in the quiet it left behind. His phone buzzed once in his pocket, and he began moving. His first task was to alert Hinata and Kageyama and make sure they got out. His second would be to find Kuroo and possibly the others. He ignored the text and climbed up the stairs.  
  
“Shouyou,” he called, flicking on the light. Hinata and Kageyama both groaned and sat up from their places on the guest futons. “Get up,” he said. “The Catchers will probably be here soon.”  Hinata blinked at him, then scrambled for his bag. Kageyama looked at him dumbly.  
  
“Why would the Catchers come here?” he yawned. Kenma turned to his closet to pull out the bag he kept packed there.  
  
“Because my parents were Soulmates,” he explained. “I was tested as a kid, and it came back inconclusive. They have me on a list, and the radio just announced that the new laws have been passed.” He turned to see Kageyama still staring at him.  
  
“They’re going to start searching,” Hinata explained as he tossed Kageyama’s bag at him. “They’ll come here because Kenma is under suspicion. We need to leave so that they don’t test you and find out about your Sign.” Kenma stuffed a few extra tshirts into the bag, along with the hunting knife his senile grandfather had given him for his birthday when he was eight. Zipping up the bag, he turned to face his guests.  
  
Hinata was fully dressed, his bag packed and slung over his shoulder. Kageyama, on the other hand, was white as a sheet.  
  
“Kageyama, listen to me,” Hinata was saying. “You need to block them out. I need you to stay calm, so that we can get out of here. Can you do that for me?” Kenma winced at the cacophony in Kageyama’s head. Hinata knelt in front of him and planted a hand on either one of his shoulders. “Kageyama,” he whispered, and Kageyama’s thoughts stilled. Kenma shook them off and peered out the window.  
  
“Good luck, Shouyou,” he said. He turned around and nodded to Hinata before leaving the room. He fished out his phone and pulled up the text he had gotten in the kitchen.  
  
AKAASHI: [I found the cat you were missing. Can you meet me at the cafe so you can take him home?]  
  
Kenma closed his phone, thumbing the charm dangling off of it. He allowed himself one moment to breathe, then made his way down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out into the cold night.  
  
  
  
Hitoka was good at keeping a straight face. her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking, but her expression was perfectly neutral. She was walking between Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, fighting back a flinch every time one of their hands or shoulders brushed hers. Eventually Yamaguchi seemed to have had enough of this, and he wrapped an arm around Hitoka’s shoulders, drawing her close to his side. She kept up her poker face as tears started to stream down her cheeks.  
  
“Left here,” Tsukishima whispered, pointing to a friendly looking park lit with old-fashioned streetlamps and fairy lights strung between tree branches. He stepped ahead of them and started leading the way down a twisting path.  
  
“Where are we?” Hitoka whispered.  
  
“Last time we were in Tokyo Hinata got lost here,” Tsukishima explained. “Took me all night to find him. There’s a tree at the center of the park with a hollow at the bottom big enough for him to fit inside.”  
  
“How do you know he’ll come back here?” Yamaguchi asked.  
  
“I don’t,” Tsukishima answered, and Hitoka could all but taste the fear behind those two words. “But it’s the only idea I have.”  
  
  
  
“Look, dumbass, just admit you’re lost,” Tobio snarled. Hinata hummed distractedly, peering up at a tree.  
  
“I’m not lost,” he said without looking at him. “It’s not far from here.”  
  
“Where are we even going?” Tobio snapped. He was cold, he was tired, and he was still trying to process everything Kozume had said to him the night before, and he didn’t have the patience to follow Hinata blindly through the Tokyo suburbs after dark. Before he could say anything more, Hinata let out a yell and took off. “Oi, dumbass, wait up!” Tobio shouted, racing after him. He was almost even with a large, twisted tree when he tripped over something sitting there in the dark.  
  
“What the-” shouted the thing, standing up enough for the light to fall on its face. “Kageyama?” asked Yamaguchi, peering at him in the dark. “Are you okay?  
  
“Screw him,” Tsukishima said from his place against the tree. “Are you okay, Yamaguchi?”  
  
“Where’s Yacchan?” Hinata asked.  
  
“She’s inside the tree,” Yamaguchi asked. Tobio groaned, pressing his hands to his head. “Oh,” Yamaguchi said suddenly. “Sorry.” He took a deep breath and put a hand on Tsukishima’s shoulder, and the noise in Tobio’s head lessened.  
  
“Thanks,” he mumbled, grateful for the dim lighting that hid his blush. Yamaguchi grinned at him, then crawled inside the tree to shake Yachi awake.   
  
“Stop embarrassing Kageyama,” she mumbled as she crawled out of the hollow. Tobio blushed harder, ducking his head.  
  
“Okay, so that’s all of us,” Hinata chirped, bouncing happily and looking up at each of them in turn. Tobio filled with dread, and he and Yachi both looked at Tsukishima.  
  
“So what now?” he asked.  
  
  
  
Koushi watched as the sunrise crept across the third years’ room, drawing his knees closer to his chest. The light reached Asahi, making him scrunch his eyebrows as he stirred.  
  
“Suga?” he asked blearily, looking around.   
  
“I’m over here, Asahi,” Koushi said. Asahi sat up and rubbed his eyes.  
  
“What’re you doing up?” he asked. Koushi smiled.  
  
“That’s a secret, I’m afraid,” he said. Asahi nodded sadly.  
  
“I’m sorry, Suga,” he said softly. “It’s gotta be so lonely.”  
  
It stopped Koushi in his tracks. He watched Asahi look down at his blanket. It occurred to him that Asahi was the most alone of all of them. After all, Koushi had Daichi, Noya had Tanaka and Kiyoko, and the first years all had each other. Asahi wasn’t the only ordinary person on the team, but he wasn’t exactly close to Ennoshita and the others. Koushi uncurled himself and crawled over to sit next to Asahi, leaning against his shoulders.  
  
“It’s going to be okay, Suga,” he whispered. Koushi shook his head.  
  
“I should be the one saying that.” Asahi gave him a questioning look, but he shook his head. After all, Ennoshita was already awake and panicking. Sure enough, within a minute he burst through the third years’ door.  
  
“The first years are missing,” he said. Daichi startled awake, looking up at him in confusion.  
  
“Did you check the kitchen?” Asahi asked. Ennoshita nodded.  
  
“I checked with the staff, too. No one’s seen them since last night.    Tanaka and Noya are gone too,” he said. His voice was growing high with hysterics, and Koushi wished he could comfort him. But Narita was running up, out of breath, to stand next to Ennoshita.  
  
“The girls are gone, too,” he gasped. Koushi leaned more heavily against Asahi’s side. Daichi scrambled over to his bag, fishing out his phone. Narita was hyperventilating, Asahi was trembling, and Ennoshita looked close to tears.  
  
“It’s okay,” he said softly. Everyone froze and turned to look at him. He curled tighter and shook his head. “There’s nothing we can do for them. Has anyone talked to Takeda-sensei or Ukai-san?”  
  
“We sent Kinoshita to tell them,” Narita said. Koushi nodded.   
  
“We’re going home,” he said. He uncurled himself and stood to start rolling his futon.   
  
“Suga, we can’t just-” Daichi started.  
  
“We can, and we will,” Koushi interrupted. He straightened to look at the boys - the children, really - gathered around him. “They’re on their own now. Anything we say, anything we do to try and find them will just put them in danger. All eight of them left last night because it was the safest thing they could do.” Daichi stiffened and stared at him, and he nodded.  
  
“Alright,” he whispered. “Alright. You heard him. Get your things together. The bus will be here in an hour.” Reluctantly, the second years left the room. Koushi stood still for a moment, closing his eyes and breathing deep. He opened them and got to work.  
  
“Suga,” Asahi said softly. Koushi turned to face him, but didn’t stop what he was doing. “Suga, are you two going to be okay?” Koushi flashed him a blinding smile.  
  
“Of course, Asahi,” Suga said. “The question is, will you be okay? You’re awfully weak-willed, after all.” Asahi turned bright red and sputtered, and Daichi laughed. Koushi forced himself to relax, willed his hands to stop trembling.   
  
That was his job, after all. Hold the team together. Keep everyone’s secrets. Smile real pretty and fake it until everyone he loved was safe.  
  
If only he knew how long that would take.

**Author's Note:**

> Some notes, in case it isn't clear.  
> -This is a Soulmate AU, but it is not a common occurrence. Soulmates are seen as abnormal and/or dangerous.  
> -Most soulmates have different soulmate signs from one another, and not everyone has one.  
> -Suga is an empath.  
> -He's not the only one.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://notsuchasecret.tumblr.com)


End file.
